…sizzling up hole-in-the-wall ethnic eats of old Dubai

Part 2: A sweet bite of the Big Apple: Sunburst Espresso Bar, NYC

I’d frequent this cute little cafe on 18th and 3rd practically every day after work. A warm mug of cappuccino pairs wonderfully with their crumb cakes – both the gooey chocolate one (warmed up to make the chocolate cake even more melty and gooey than it already is) as well as their raspberry one (my personal favourite, because the vanilla cake layer is so perfectly dense and buttery that throwing chocolate in would just distract from the simplicity of this impeccably-baked cake).

Great loose leaf tea selection too – they have this yummy ginger peach tea that I’d discovered in Austin and have loved ever since.

Worth mentioning that I often ate dinner here on weeknights, with my usual picks either being one of their hearty soups served up with homemade buttery biscuits, or their spicy grilled chicken and raisin-sprinkled couscous wrap. Nothing too fancy, but was right for a fast and no-fuss dinner. Yep, die-hard foodies enjoy ordinary food from their neighbourhood cafe too. I even ordered a lettuce-tomato-and-turkey sandwich from the deli across the street at the other day. It happens, more often than you’d think.

While Dubai becomes sizzling hot during the summer, my sister and I turn up the heat in our own special way - with delicious meals in lesser known, unspectacular alleyways that surprisingly serve up soulful community food. We will play your ever-hungry old time resident guides, and will meet adventurous diners at any one of our favourite restaurants chosen for the day. Be it a Palestinian caramelized onion pie, a 12-hour cooked Indian beef stew, Ethiopian 'steak tartare' or Pakistani griddle-sizzled offal, we won't leave a pot unturned in our hunt for unadulterated, authentic community flavour. Click here for more details on our #intrepidEaterDXB summer restaurant meet-ups.